Both the extent and pace of growth in container volumes have put strains on a wide range of operational procedures and the physical hardware employed to handle the steel boxes, particularly onboard ships. Attention to numerous factors is needed to avoid repeated casualties A webinar organised by the Thomas Miller managed insurance mutuals, container freight specialist TT Club and protection & indemnity insurer, UK P&I Club, revealed the diverse range of factors important to safe container ship operations and the security of the container stacks they carry. ‘Container Casualties – ...

Skuld, a leading marine insurance provider, today announces the appointment of Helen Yiacoumis as head of freight, demurrage and defence (FD&D) in Skuld Piraeus. Yiacoumis will join Skuld upon completion of her contractual obligations and will be based in Piraeus. Prior to joining Skuld, Yiacoumis spent almost 18 years at The North of England P&I Association Limited, where she joined as a solicitor and progressed to director in the Greek office. Yiacoumis is a qualified solicitor and has worked at Holman Fenwick Willan International between 1999 and 2001. Ståle Hansen, ...

The written notification of the Cargo Claim under clause (6) of the Inter-Club NYPE Agreement 1996 and its amendment in 2011 does not have to include details of the cargo claim and the claim amount. It is clarified in the latest London Arbitration 3/20. The Factual Background The concerned vessel was time-chartered by the charterers to ship a cargo of engine equipment from a United States port to a North African port. The time charter was on an amended NYPE form which expressly incorporated the Inter-Club NYPE Agreement 2011 (the ...

The UK P&I Club will host the latest in a series of live training webinars aimed at both Members and the wider maritime industry. Taking place on Thursday 13th August at 9am BST (4pm Singapore), the webinar will provide expert insight and analysis on the practical aspects of passage planning and bridge resource management (BRM) claims. The webinar follows the recent decision by the Court of Appeal in the “CMA CGM Libra” case, which highlights an urgent need for ship operators and ship staff team to revisit their procedures and ...

In response to several incidents of containers being lost into the sea, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has initiated a focused inspection campaign on container stowage and securing arrangements, both fixed and portable, that will run from 1 August 2020 to 31 October 2020. Introduction Containers lost at sea present a serious safety and an environmental hazard. The World Shipping Council estimates that over the last 12 years (2008-2019), 1,382 containers have been lost at sea on an average each year due to both catastrophic and non-catastrophic incidents. A ...

As noted in a previous website article, the US Government has for some time applied sanctions in respect of certain European energy programmes in which Russia plays a significant role. Those sanctions are targeted at limiting Russia’s influence over Europe’s energy requirements, in particular the development of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline between Russia and Germany via the Baltic Sea, and the Turk Stream pipeline connecting Russia with Turkey via the Black Sea. The sanctions target the provision of cable-laying and other ships used in such projects, and a number ...

CAMBIASO RISSO Group, a leading insurance broking firm with a strong worldwide presence in the shipping sector, which has recently become part of the French insurance Broking Group of SIACI SAINT HONORE, and FENDER S.A., a boutique marine insurance broker, considered to be the most dynamically growing company of its sector in Greece, have announced the commencement of their strategic alliance, which is part of a broader plan for the further development of the Group. Under this new venture, FENDER S.A. joins a Group with presence in more than 40 ...

INTERCARGO and VISTRATO have released A Guide to Ship/Shore Interactions During Solid Bulk Operations. The Guide focuses on avoiding unnecessary face-to-face contact between ship and shore personnel during loading/unloading operations while still ensuring compliance with mandatory documentary exchanges and procedures. The Guide supports the ‘Do More Before’ philosophy, advising personnel how they can do more to minimize face-to-face contact before the ship arrives, for example, by adopting the IMO recommendations that ships and ports should use electronic means to exchange and view documents to reduce face-to-face interactions during the COVID-19 ...

Following publication of the United States’ Global Maritime Advisory in May (see here) providing advice to the maritime community concerning compliance with U.S. sanctions, the UK Government’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) has recently issued its own Maritime Guidance to provide “Financial sanctions guidance for entities and individuals operating within the maritime shipping sector.” Although the UK is beginning to form its own sanctions identity as part of the Brexit process, the Guidance notes that during the current transition period due to last until 1 January 2021 the EU ...

Gard has previously highlighted the importance of manifold samples as the multimillion dollar samples for tankers. This alert focuses on the importance of the manifold and first foot samples, and the lessons we have learnt from cases arising in the Black Sea ports.A recent notification from our correspondents, Novorissiysk Insurance Company Nostra Ltd., highlights several cases of flash point depression in gasoil cargoes that were loaded after cargoes of naphtha or unleaded gasoline. One common factor was that the charterers/shippers continued to load the cargo either without prompt testing of ...

Shipping insurance specialist North P&I Club has expanded its team during the coronavirus pandemic with number of new hires and senior promotions. The Newcastle based business, which operates across the world, has taken on 18 people since lockdown started in March, as part of a move to strengthen and diversify the business. A series of senior promotions have also been made as part of a move to support North’s expanded services. A trio of North employees with extensive shipping experience – Allistair Ridgley, Sam Nicholls and Stephen Sayer – have ...

Previously, the club had shared the ILO Information note on Maritime Labour issues and coronavirus (COVID-19) which is available on the right. ILO has issued a revised version 2.0 including a joint statement of the Officers of the Special Tripartite Committee of the Maritime Labour Convention. The new information note reiterates the importance of seafarers and global trade in these difficult times and asks member states to recognize seafarers as ‘key workers’ to facilitate crew changes. The note also touches upon other key issues such as Force Majeure, seafarer contract ...

Since the outbreak of Covid-19 across the world, one of the biggest challenges facing the shipping industry has been protecting the health and wellbeing of seafarers. As nation states began to impose restrictions on movement and the lockdown of ports, it has become increasingly problematic to effect crew changes for those whose contracts have ended and/or for those crew that are in need of relief. More and more shipowners have been forced to weigh the immediate needs of the crew against compliance with contracts of carriage which provide little flexibility ...

On 20 July 2020, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a revised Interim Guidance for Ships on Managing Suspected or Confirmed Cases of COVID-19. The guidance provides updated information for ship operators with one or more suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19, clarified disembarkation recommendations for ships after a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 case and supplemental guidance on cleaning and disinfection. Managing Non-Cruise ships with COVID-19 confirmed cases The interim guidance provides ship owners and operators options to manage confirmed cases of COVID-19. Members should ...

Gard has seen many claims arising from soya bean cargos transported from Brazil to China for damage and alleged damage at discharge. The claims are made by receivers and/or cargo insurers under bills of lading against the vessel and often involve very large security demands. These claims are often passed to charterers, particularly when the Interclub agreement terms have been incorporated in the charterparty. We would like to understand more about the trade, the cause of the damage and some advice for mitigation of losses where damage is established. Dr ...